January 1, 2010

Gifted high schools to teach more English

The target is expected to be hit by 2015, according to a new plan by the Ministry of Education and Training.

The plan is based on the Common European Framework of Reference, developed by the European Council, which has established six levels of language skills.

The rate is expected to increase to 70 percent by 2020, the ministry representatives told a gifted high school conference in the northern province of Nam Dinh on Saturday.

The plan to be submitted to the government for approval also aims to send 750 teachers abroad for training and equip 1,850 instructors with theskills necessary to teach high-level English classes.

By 2015, the ministry also aims to have all gifted high schools meeting national standards, with 15 of them receiving investment equal to that of international schools, according to the project set for launch next year.

Gifted students would then account for at least 3 percent of total student body in each province and city.

Vu Dinh Chuan, head of the ministryâs High School Education Department, said gifted students would receive all-around training, including independent thinking and teamworkskills. He said the standard now was to simply train them for competitions, rather than for useable skills.